Brief history. The name Osoyoos (O-sue-yes) is an Indian word meaning "the narrows" or "the place where two lakes come together". Haynes Point  refers to the long spit of land  which nearly cuts the lake in half. Nomadic tribes  have been the Osoyoos region's first visitors around 1066.  The only historical records of this early time period are pictographs on mountain walls and in caves.
From 19th cent. Osoyoos' colorful history includes First Nations, pioneers, miners, B.C. Provincial Police, ranchers, rum runners and farmers. A Scotsman David Stuart   and a French companion  Montigny,  employed by the American-based Pacific Fur Company are the first white men who enter the Osoyoos district in 1811. They were  looking for a better trade route through the interior of British Columbia. They noted that Osoyoos was an ideal campsite. After the Hudson's Bay Company bought out the Pacific Fur Company, the Hudson's Bay Company Brigades used the area as a trading route. The British Columbia gold rush in the 1860s helped to further open the Osoyoos area. A customs house was built on the Canadian-USA border in 1861, colonial government's administrative centre. As being only in five minutes from the Canada/US border, Osoyoos was  a crossroads for north-south, east west trade traffic. John Carmichael Haynes  was a pioneer settler at Osoyoos who accumulated 8900 hectares of land for a cattle and horse ranch. 
The big cattle country and desert of the South Okanagan was to be converted to the Garden of Eden.
The first commercial orchard was established nearby in 1890. Starting an orchard from a piece of dry land was close to pioneering. There were no modem facilities such as running water, electricity or phones in the beginning.  A family farms in many cases was self-supporting with a cow, chickens, a garden and a couple of pigs. Wood had to be cut and stored for winter. Spuds and fruit were stored in the basement. In winters, ice was stored in the ice house for summer use. It took years for trees to bear fruit depending on variety. Ground crops such as tomatoes and cantaloupes were grown for survival until the orchards produced. 
 The South Okanagan Irrigation Project brought an irrigation canal to the area by 1919. Osoyoos grew slowly until the railway reached it from the north in 1944. The Okanagan fruit industry has come a long way in the last one hundred years and today, the dry, sunny climate and long growing season make the South Okanagan the fruit basket of Canada, with Osoyoos as its capital city. Apricots, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, apples, grapes, even bananas- the only plantation of its kind in Canada, thrive in the hot, dry climate.  Fine wines match any wines from anywhere, from France to California. 
The town with population about 4500 is now primarily a retirement, agriculture and tourism area.
Lake. Canada's warmest lake Osoyoos Lake stretches about 22 km.  It is a rare and natural phenomenon. It contains extremely high concentrations of minerals such as Epsom salts, calcium and sodium sulfates. In the hot sun, the water evaporates, crystallizing the minerals, forming many white-rimmed circles. These shallow pools reflect the mineral content of the water in shades of blues and greens. The lake has an average summer temperature of 24 degrees C and rarely freezes over the winter. Its warm waters and clean public beaches is a favorite for summer recreation and winter sports. The air temperatures are pleasantly warm in the summer ranging from 20 to 33 degrees C  and during winter months average temperatures drop to 1.3 degrees C. Early visitors to the Okanagan Valley remarked on the numbers of birds they encountered. If there is an Eden for water-birds, the Osoyoos lakes must be that favored spot. " Since then, the Osoyoos area is truly a Mecca for watching birds, in all seasons of the year.
Desert. Osoyoos is the only desert in Canada, with the lowest rainfall, the highest temperatures, and the warmest lakes. The desert extends past Osoyoos Lake to Skaha Lake, and west up the Similkameen Valley towards Keremeos, approximately 24 km. This area receives an average rainfall of less than 250 mm per year. The desert desert flora and fauna of this area are found nowhere else in Canada. The "Osoyoos Arid Biotic Zone" is a continuation of the Sonoran Desert that extends from Mexico right up to the Okanagan Valley. While irrigation has made Osoyoos a lush green oasis, it is interesting to note that the desert continues undisturbed where there is no water. The Osoyoos Arid Biotic Zone is a continuation of the Sonoran Desert that extends from Mexico.